William Keast (1866 – 22 February 1927) was an Australian politician and member of the

Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presidin ...

for the seats of Dandenong and Berwick and

Dandenong Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainly ...

between 1900 and 1917.

Profile

Keast was born in 1866 in Strangways, Victoria. He died on 22 February 1927 in Malvern and was buried in Burwood cemetery. Parents: Stephen Heywood, farmer, and Mary Tynan. Marriage: 3 Apr 1890 with Henrietta Victoria Theodora Brackewagen. Occupation: Produce merchant and stock and station agent. Religion:

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. Education: Newstead State School.

Career

Worked on father's farm; moved to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

1889; employed by wholesale produce firm, became manager; in business on own account as chaff and

grain merchant The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...

1892; expanded to stock and station agent 1899, many large land sales including Chirnside and Winter-Irving estates and Clarke family; owned station at Hay and bred sheep; president Chaff and Grain Association, Clifton Hill Australian Natives Association; campaigned for Federation.

Party

Party: Ministerialist Party Note: Minister Independent 1900–1902. Supported no-confidence motion against Bent 1908,

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Appointments

* Royal commission Grain Handling 1902 * Railway Locomotives 1905 * Tramway Fares 1910-1911 * Marketing and Transportation of Wheat committee 1911 * Royal commission Marketing and Transportation of Grain 1912-1913 * Housing committee 1913 * Royal commission Fruit, Vegetables and Jam 1915 * Public Accounts committee 1913-1917

References

*Table Talk 14 Oct 1909 *Melbourne Punch 26 Sept 1912 *Age, Argus 23 Feb 1927 *Smith, J. (ed.), 'Cyclopedia of Victoria', 3 vols, Melbourne, 1903–05, *Browne, G, 'Biographical Register of the Victorian Parliament 1900-84', 1985 {{DEFAULTSORT:Keast, William 1866 births 1927 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly 19th-century Australian politicians Colony of Victoria people